Social Influences on Decision-Making

I examine the influence of everyday conversations about politics on political behavior, primarily through a panel study of college undergraduates who were randomly assigned to their dormitories. Using random assignment to social condition, combined with measuring behavior over time, has led to some of the most direct evidence of social influence on political behavior to date. I also study political discussion networks with national-level survey data. More recently, this area of my agenda has expanded to included "get-out-the-vote" (GOTV) field experiments.

Survey research methodology

When using surveys in my research I have conducted experiments on improving response rates to Internet and in-person surveys. I have also assessed how question wording can influence respondents' responses.

CONSPIRATORIAL BELIEFS

In collaboration with my colleague Joe Uscinski I have also started to use polling data to assess the antecedents and consequences of conspiratorial thought in the United States. We are in the process of writing a book-length manuscript on the subject.